Wire-bound box.



E. E. FLORA.

WIRE BOUND BOX.

AiPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1911.

1,042,100, ramme 0ct. 22,1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELISWOBTH E. FLORA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 SIMPLEX METAL BOUND 30x COMPAITYQOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WIRE-BOUND BOX.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLSWORTH E. FLORA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new.and useful Improvement in Wire Bound Boxes, of which the following is a spec1ficat1on.

My object is to provide a novel and 1mproved construction of wire-bound box wlth a view of rendering the box particularly light, strong and durable, as well as attractive in appearance. 0

In the drawing-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box or shipping case constructed in'accordance with my invention;. and F1g. 2, an enlarged fragmentary and sectional view of an end-portion of the box.

The body of the box is constructed of wood, or fiber, sheets forming the top 5, bottom 6, front 7 and back 8, held together by means of end binding-Wires 10, and when desired, by an additional intermediate binding-wire. The particular features of novelty lie in the manner of securing the box-end sheets 9, also, in the manner of fastening the cover-sheet to the end-sheets as well as in the peculiar form or construction of the end binding-wires 10. These bindingwires 10 form the sole means of securing together the sheets forming the box, and the staples employed are used for the purpose of holding such-binding-wires in place. In other words by means of my construc- 'tion the use of nails or screws to secure the top, bottom, sides and ends of the box together is obviated.

The wires 10 consist of single strands formed at determined intervals with loo s 11. Each loop has as its base a single twist 12 of the strand and is expanded to give to it decided width. Where the box-ends 9 are to be set in, as indicated, the loops 11 are bent or shaped, between the twists and their outer ends, to form sockets l3 fitting around the end edges of the box-body, and to present expanded inset abutments for the boxends 9. In practice, the end binding-wire 10 is initially provided with the twists and loops at desired intervals and furnished to the box-maker on reels, while the different sheets cut to proper size may be furnished to him in the knock-down.

To construct the box, the sheets 5, 6, 7 and 8, which together form a blank for the boxy, are placed in proper order upon a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 21, 1911. Serial No. 689;766.-

strand. When the end of the blank is reached, the wire is severed, turned back upon itself, to form a tongue 17, and fastened down with a staple 18. When both end binding-wires have been fastened to the blank as described, an intermediate binding-wire 19, consisting of a single straight strand, may be applied, by fastening it to the blank with staples 20, and turned back upon itself at opposite ends to form the 100 21 and tongue 22, as shown. The finishedblank is then bent around the box-ends 9, which are caused to bear against the abutments formed by the loops 11 on the sheets 6, 7 and 8, and the ends are secured to those abutments with staples 23. In the box illus- PatentedOct. 22, 1912.

trated, comparatively long staples 24 are the box-ends to register with the loops 11 on the cover 5. The end binding-wires constitute means, which may be the only means for holding the sides, bottom and ends o the box in rigid relation, and they also operate as hinges for the cover 5. In the use of the box as a shipping case, the cover may be fastened down by passing the tongues 17, 22, through the'loops'14, 21, and bending the tongues into hooks. The long .staples 24 also formtongues adapted to be passed through the adjacent cover-loops and to be bent into hooks, as indicated. Any suitable seal applied, say, to the hook 22, will opprovided along the upper edge portions of erate to safeguard the box-contents in shipv ment, if desired.

The singlestrand end bindingwires formed and fastened as shown and de scribed, produce means for their purpose. Stretching of the wires under longitudinal strain is effectually resisted by the single twists 12, at the bases of the loops, and the staples 16 which hold the twists against the sheet surfaces. All

the staples should be clenched upon the in-' ner surfaces of the sheets as they are driven.

The box may be quickly and easily constructed from material in the knock-down,

particularly desirable and owing'to the absence of cleats, the thinness of the material that maybe employed, and single strand binding-Wire, it may be particularly light considering its strength and durability.) For this and other reasons, as Well as on account of its attraotiveappearance, the box is peculiarly adapted to meet the desires of shippers of certain kinds of merchandise.

The foregoing description is intended to convey a clear understanding of my improvements in Wire-bound box construction, in What I now believe to be the best form of their embodiment, and no undue limitation should be understood therefrom. it is my intention to claim all that is novel in my invention, and that the claims shall be construed as broadly as the prior state of the art may warrant.

What 1 01am as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

t oeaieo singie strand formed. at determined intervals with short twists and expanded, in Wardly bent loops projecting therefrom and shaped into sockets receiving the edges of 2. A Wire-bound box having a bodyportion formed of sheet material, securing means comprising binding-Wires extending around opposite end-portions of the body, each consisting of a sin le strand formed at determined intervals with short twists and expanded, inwardly bent loops ,projecting therefrom, box-ends abutting against said loops, the wires being stapled at their twists to the box-body, the loops, excepting those on the cover, being stapled to the box-ends v and the cover loops forming eyes, and hooks on the box-ends engaging said eyes.

ELLSW QRTH E. In the presence of- L. PEIsLAR, W. 1. Joints. 

